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Harold Hargrave
Harold Hargrave, Patriarch of House Hargrave, is the austere ruler of the what humanity has come to call Duchy of Whitereach Whitereach, better known as Laer'Modan ''or ''Pale Mountain in the dwarven tongue. Considered to be generally hermitic and unsympathetic to the affairs of the world beyond their own holdings, the Hargraves of Whitereach have long been a cold seat in the courts of Lordaeron; Harold Hargrave being no exception. Despite his reclusive nature, Harold is a boistrous and energetic man who is quick to trust and fast to forge friendships with strangers. Famed as a man of personal honor, immense kindness, and accepting rule, the scion of the betwixt blood of House Hargrave is a legend among his people within the secluded mountain valley over which he rules with a tender hand, and little more than an oddity at the Queen's Court. Appearance Thane Harold Hargrave is as much a brute and hulkish man in appearance as ever there was. Towering above virtually all of his peers at a height of 6'8, Harold cuts an ominious shade, and combined with his hulkish physique, casts an imposing, if not immediately monstrous figure. Harold's form, oddly enough, has been attributed to his mixed dwarf and human ancestry; giving him the stoutly broad and thick body of a dwarf whilst retaining the height and flexibity of his human ancestors. The House of Hargrave, since it's inception, has been ruled by mixed dwarven and human scions and every ruler descended from the line of Robert the Trustworthy has born the same hulkingly tall shape. Although this explains the burly physical character of the Hargraves, the source of their incredible height remains a mystery; with some speculating that the blood of the Vyrkul still runs strong in the bloodline. Resting atop Harold's muscular features, his countenance appears equally as monstrous as the rest of his body. Criss crossed with scars and the marks of war, the Thane's face may have once been handsome but has long since lost most of it's traditional charm. Large framed and bulky, his facial features remain sharp and angular, broken only by the occasional scars and a badly broken nose that appears to have never been reset: a face which is eerily similar to his paternal line. Dominating his visage is a great scar beginning just under his eye and dragging downward across his nose to end just below the edge of his lip; a wound received long ago which twists his mouth into a near permanent scowl. His eyes are set deep within his face, and are a deep and rich shade of brown which could be held as both warm and welcoming, as well as dark and untelling, depending upon the viewer. Personality & Beliefs In most ways Harold is a simple man, in others, he is entirely complex. Around friends and other trustworthy souls, Harold is boisterous, friendly, quick to laugh, easy-going, and jovial. Among those who he finds himself less at-ease with, that being most everyone outside of Whitereach and select few within the Queen's Court, he is quiet, reserved, and serious in his demeanor. Despite the isolationist tendancies of his people, however, Harold is the sort of soul who never meets a stranger and always endeavors to befriend those he encounters in the most polite and friendly manner possible; an odd site considering his otherwise intimidating figure. Harold is also highly introspective and philosophical in his dealings with the world around him. Raised in an isolated land where time appeared to move far more slowly than it did for the rest of the world, the Thane is one that is slow to action and always one to think out his movements and attitudes. Unfortunately, and perhaps surprisingly, Harold's propensity for deep thought and introspection does not extend to combat and he has been known to act with reckless and wild abandon when the heat of action presses down upon him. Raised as the heir to the throne of Whitereach in isolation at Treurand Castle, Harold spent the great majority of his life learning the ways of war and administration. Schooled in the histories of his dwarf and human ancestors, Harold took a great liking to scholarly pursuits at a young age as well as the more traditional interests of his class; such as swordsmanship and general physical activity. Although his natural physique was one that seemed to destine him for complete devotion to the battlefield, Harold devoted a significant portion of his young adult life to the learning of history and law and has personally authored many of Whitereach's most recent legal reforms. Despite both of these great attractions, Harold's truest love has always been nature and the outdoors. An avid gamesman and hunter, the Thane has become legend for taking to the wilderness and disappearing for weeks at a time; appearing almost randomly from the forests and hills within the various townships of Whitereach to give away his winnings or purchase supplies. In matters of personal belief, Harold has never been an especially pious man. Raised within the melting pot of human Light worship, the dwarven rites, and the shamanistic tenants of the Wildhammer Clan, Harold's views are a unique mixture of Light worship and shamanism. Although he is respectful of traditional church hierarchy, his personal beliefs favor the decentralized and individualized worship of the shamans of nature. Philosophy Whitereach has always been a place were the lines between ruler and ruled have been blurred; an inheritance of the land's dwarven ancestry and the circumstances in which the Lorei humans fled Everbright. Harold has taken this tradition to heart and carries the belief that the division between nobility and commoner is not one by blood, but by duty and responsibility. To Harold the nobility are the protectors of the people and the greatest servants of all. In exchange for luxury, wealth, and respect, the nobility fight, lead, and lay their very lives on the line for the protection of the weak and defenseless. To this end, Harold imagines himself as the greatest servant in all his land. In short, nobility is something that one earns and whilst one might be born into such service, one is not necessarily born worthy to shoulder such an honor. In connection to his paramount belief that his purpose in life is to help the people under his care, Harold cares deeply about justice and its proper execution. Having studied law from an early age and forced to act as Whitereach's highest judge in his position as Thane, Harold has developed an intrinsic respect for the execution of equity, order, and law throughout his land and greater Lordaeron. Despite his rigid belief in proper justice, however, Harold's devoution to the law exists only insofar as the law is just. Laws used to oppress innocents or derive people of their rights are no longer true law, but exist merely as tyranny. ''Might is Right ''is a notion that Harold has abhors and his belief in ''just law ''is one which he is willing to fight bitterly for. Relationships Marriage Unmarried and without any marital prospects, Harold has developed a reputation as something of a casanova over the years. His numerous affairs, despite his less than comely appearance, are surprising to many and have led some to believe that Harold is a man of unusual charm and precious little self-control. While some label him as licentious, Harold considers himself a hopeless romantic in search of love and affection in the wrong places. His quest search for companionship has caused him great worry and pain, most evidently when he was caught in bed with the eldest daughter of Lord Buzan of Crownwood and forced to quickly marry her. The marriage was short lived, however, on account of Sunday Buzan's death during the Third War and no children were produced by the marriage. Since then Harold's most notable public affair was with Lady Relinas Sunwhisper, cousin to the Lady-Phoenix of Quel'Athillien, Rennali Sunwhisper. Although his relationship with the Lady Sunwhisper was short-lived, Harold has endeavored to be far more careful in his choice of companionship. Taking great measures in recent times to ensure the secrecy of his partners Harold has thus been able to quell any rumors as to his current partners. Despite his propensity for taking comfort in the arms of women, the Thane has yet to produce a legitimate heir for Whitereach. While there has yet to be any real discontent as a result of this fact in Whitereach proper, there has been some speculation that Harold's failure to produce a child may bode ill for him in the highly practical and interventionalist court of Queen Madelynne I. Friendships Allies Enemies Heart of the Mountain: Shamanism in Whitereach Early History: Joining the Kingdom of Lordaeron Restored Entrance into the Queen's Service Inheriting much of the isolationist tendancies attributed to his blood, Harold has refrained from interfering with Azeroth's affairs outside of the few occasions where his duty as a vassal to the House of Menethil called for it. Despite his hesitance to become entangled in what he deems as "affairs of a foreign nature," Harold has become increasingly worried that events in Lordaeron may once more pull Whitereach from the obscure mists and into the forefront of Lordaeronian politics. It is for the deep concern of his people, as well as the urgings of the Pale Senate, that Harold ventured forth from Whitereach to the court of Queen Madelynne I, undisputed ruler of Blackmarsh and aspiring monarch of greater Lordaeron. Initially fearful that the many negative rumors about the Queen would herald a ruinous end to his venture, Harold came to the Queen's Court to request permission to stay and observe the monarch's realm for a short time. Although recieving a sharp rebuke to his request, Harold remained in Blackmarsh and became increasingly woeful at what he believed to be a harsh situation. It would not be until his attendance at a tournament hosted by the Grand Alliance Vanguard that Harold's reluctance to formally pledge allegiance to Queen Madelynne I began to change. Still wary of the Queensmen, Harold watched as the armsmen of the Queen proved to be excellent duelists and jousters, solidly defeating virtually every opponent presented before them. It was not in victorious combat, however, that Harold was most impressed with the servants of Albrecht. It was the high degree of professionalism and honor with which the Queensmen carried themselves in spite of undeserved insults hurled by the vanquished opponents that began to sway the passions of Harold's heart. For all the rumors he had heard of the Queen and her "scoundrel" servants, he had witnessed the opposite; he had witnessed true knights and warriors where before there was supposed to be knaves and thieves, yet, those who had presented themselves as the morale betters of the Queensmen were themselves bankrupt of such currency. His mind in flux, it was a conversation with Lord Williert Stokeswood within the Soaring Falcon Inn, where Harold finally decided to pledge himself to the Queen. Explaining that the Queen's seemingly harsh language to the untrained mountain lord was not out of any sort of malice, but rather, the need to present strength in a time of deep division, Harold felt great relief. Combined with Lord Stokeswood's offers of trade with the nearly bankrupt yet mineral rich Whitereach, and the Thane's spirits have risen greatly Current Doings At present Thane Hargrave is involved in several organizations involved around Lordaeron Restored: *The Royal Society of Archaeology - Lord-Commissioner and founder of the R.S.A. and its sister organization, the Museum of Natural Studies & Antiquities. *Lord-Partner in the Confederation of the Ebontide, a tradining conglomerate composed of several Lordaeronian lords. *Lord-Protector of Crownwood, a position bestowed upon him by Mother Ermentrud Weimar which shoulders upon him the responsibility for orchestrating the county's judicial administration and enforcing law and order. Campaigns Harold has participated in several campaigns since joining Queen Madelynne I's court. Shortly after first swearing fealty he played a role in helping deal with the various marsh monsters that had begun to plague Blackmarsh, most noteably the monster known as the Eisenvogel. Shortly after the botched attempt to slay the Eisenvogel, Harold and a small team of Stormcaller Clan Gryphon riders assisted Lord Viktor Romel in taking the Riverspire in the province of River's Eye. It would not be until the Scourge Invasion of Myrwood, however, that Harold would truly earn his name. Thane Hargrave and a small squad of elite Highlanders participated in the Battle of Shattered Stone and Harold showed his bravery multiple times throughout the campaign. Unfortunately, Harold was unable to participated in the final Siege of Starkholme that ended the campaign as a result of injuries he suffered during the Siege of Tulloch Hold. His legs utterly crushed by the falling stones of a section of wall as a result of Anub'Azzar's attack on the castle, Harold was forced to leave the battlefield and return hom. Since then, Harold has been relegated to wheel chair and unable to make use of his legs. *Schatten Freunde *River's Eye Campaign *Myrwood Quotes ''"Humility is his form of pride. It is both his strength and his weakness and if you can humble yourself before him then he will do anything you ask." -'' Highlord Jaren Kelborn, Patriarch of the House of MacGregor, on Harold. ''"Guilty they may be, they deserve proper justice just as much as the highest king or the lowest pauper. If that makes me a scoundrel, then I shall gladly join such a rank." ''-Harold on why he defended the condemned in the Trial of the Three. ''"We are called noble because it is we who have the responsibility of protecting our people. For this we are granted luxuries beyond compare and respect unequal but we must never forget why we enjoy such things. We enjoy them because the people grant them to us by their labors and just as they pay through their work, we must do so in kind to them." ''- Harold on nobility. Photo Gallery Haroldhargravediermina.png|By the talented, Diermina. Harold3.jpg|Art by Chai Harold.jpg|By Kelzack Haroldhargrave.png Haroldcsm.jpg|Art by Valarian Harold4.jpg|Art by crazy-cat-sketches Category:Characters Category:Lordaeron Peerage Category:Human Category:Blood of Lordaeron Category:Lordaeronian